Different countries and regions use different electrical plug pin configurations. For example, Australia uses two angled flat pins, the United States uses two parallel flat pins, Europe uses two round pins and the United Kingdom (UK) uses three square pins. Plug converters, sometimes called travel adaptors, for changing the electrical pin configuration of an appliance plug are well known.
Hong Kong has largely adopted the square pin UK configuration for electrical wall outlets, but it is not uncommon for appliances sold in Hong Kong to have a round pin European style plug. Thus, the use of so called Euro plug adaptors is common place in many Hong Kong homes and offices.
Plug converters consist of body having on one part or side a set of pins of a first pin configuration and on a second part or side an electrical socket connected to the pings for receiving a plug having a different pin configuration.
Problems with plug converters are that they cause the plug to protrude a greater distance from the wall outlet, and the weight of the plug body and appliance cord cause the plug to loosen in, or fall out of, the plug converter socket.